Russian tourists choose Turkey

Turkey returned to the first place in the rating of the most popular areas of organized recreation among Russians, ATOR reported. It was worth Moscow and Ankara to normalize relations spoiled by the downed Turkey in 2015 on the border with Syria by the Russian Su-24, to allow the sale of tours and to resume charter flights, as the Russians again flew massively to Turkish resorts. For the first nine months of 2017, according to Rosturizm (the department did not disclose more recent data), 3.9 million tourists from Russia traveled to Turkey - 716% more than in the same period a year earlier: the low base effect created explosive growth. In 2018, it continued: in January-March, 524,300 tourists from Russia traveled to Turkey, increasing by 63.9% year on year, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported, on May holidays Turkey became the leader and will preserve, as ATOR believes, the first place for the whole summer: in this direction tour operators account for up to 40% of sales.

Russian resorts are pushed back by Turkey to the second place: if you take only organized tourism, then, according to ATOR, the Krasnodar Territory is gaining popularity, and interest in the Crimea remains at the level of last year (although domestic resorts are popular with savages). Times of explosive growth of interest of Russians to home resorts - two years ago, sales of tours grew by an impressive 25-30% - passed, stable interest except to Sochi. Increase if not the attractiveness of the Crimea (the tourist infrastructure is being updated, but not so quickly to reach the Turkish level of comfort familiar to Russians), the accessibility of the new region of Russia is due to the Crimean bridge, the automobile movement on which was solemnly opened on the eve of the start of the summer season, Vladimir Putin. But simultaneously with the opening of the bridge in the Crimea, for example, real estate prices have risen by 10-15%, according to the estimates of local realtors, which will lead to a rise in prices for rest. The effect of starting a direct rail service, which should open in 2019, may be twofold.

In words, Russians are ready to go to the Crimea and now, there would be money, - so in May 2018, sociologists of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center answered 37% of the respondents. Even those wishing to have a rest on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus are less - 33%. And abroad - and at all 21%. This is not only and not so much an indicator of real interest in the resorts of the peninsula, but also a socially approved answer: rest at home is generally an indicator of patriotic sentiments, and given the price at which it went - spoiled relations with Ukraine, sanctions - especially. But since there is no money, only 9% of those polled by VCIOM think of going to Crimea in the summer of 2018 (10% in 2017). Scares away the high cost of recreation in the Crimea - so said 20% of respondents VTsIOMom, in second place with 7% - security problems.